Easy Quilted Coasters

A long time ago, I made a few quilted coasters for my husband, but over the years they’ve mostly gotten lost or found permanent homes in places other than the kitchen/living room. Since our only other coasters are a set of heavy marble which must be kept far out of the toddler’s reach, I thought it was time to make a fresh set. And while I was at it, why not make some for my parents’ new house?

Our new coasters

Both sets are 2-sided, so you can flip them over for a different look. Most were quilted with a walking foot, but for the two on the ends of the photo, I was practicing my free motion quilting. I wish I had chosen less well-matching thread, since the quilting hardly shows up at all!

Where ours are solid, I played with the pattern a bit for my parents’.

My parents’ coasters

Each has one solid side and one striped.

My method evolved a bit as I went, since halfway through I discovered the existence of fusible fleece. For the first half, I needed an extra seam 1/4″ from the edge to secure the fleece to one side before sewing the back and front fabrics together (which seam I then traced after assembling the coaster to make both sides match). The fusible fleece eliminated that seam, which opened up more design possibilities for the quilting – not to mention making the coasters even faster to put together.

I made these 4.5″ square, so they’re the perfect little project for extra charm squares. I’m sure these aren’t the last coasters I’ll make!